Category: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
The Good Therapy Blog
January 18th, 2012 |
Nearly one in 12 women who suffer with posttraumatic stress do so as a result of being raped. Although many therapies have been shown to help reduce the symptoms of rape-related PTSD, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and prolonged exposure (PE), a small number of these women still do not see significant relief. Recently, researchers have looked at the coping techniques these women use as a method of predicting treatment... Read More
© Copyright 2012 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tampa Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
June 10th, 2011 |
This is the experience in the cluster of possible depression experiences that many people think of when they think of depression. While sadness and crying can be part of any depression, it can be absent as well. It can also be the dominant symptom. The unrelenting sadness experience of depression causes people to feel deeply sad and usually cry often. They don’t get much or any relief from crying, they sometimes still feel this way long after a loss occurred, and sometimes feel sad without having had a loss.
I recently saw a movie called Off the Map in which Sam Elliot brilliantly plays a... Read More
April 11th, 2011 |
I want to continue to talk about the clusters of depression symptoms that cause people to suffer in very different ways. Last time I talked about the low ambition cluster; this time I want to talk about the self-attack cluster.
Self-attack
Self-attack is my term for thinking mean, diminishing, insulting, shaming thoughts about oneself. People often think of this as low self-esteem, but I think self-attack describes what is actually going on better. People who are suffering from depression often think like this, but it is also possible to think like this and not meet the full criteria to be... Read More
March 9th, 2011 |
Learning about the stages of healing can be distressing, motivating, upsetting or uplifting. None of these emotions is the right one to feel, meaning that no matter how you feel, you do not have a wrong reaction. Acknowledging your emotional response to the stages of healing can allow you to harness the emotion’s energy and reach out to a trained psychotherapist.
When looking for a psychotherapist to work on your healing with, it is vital to keep in mind that regardless of what type of psychotherapy you pursue, it is essential that your therapist empower you, welcomes you as a collaborator... Read More
January 19th, 2011 |
When a loved one hurts you through excessive criticism, put downs or abuse of any kind, you experience emotional and often simultaneous physical pain. But can emotional abuse be considered traumatic? Dr. Francine Shapiro defines two types of trauma, "big T" trauma and "little t" trauma. "Big T" trauma refers to what we commonly think of as trauma like war or natural disaster. "Little t" trauma refers to incidents such as getting teased as a child or getting rejected by your first love. Most people experience "little t" trauma some time in their lives. People who live with and love someone emotionally... Read More
November 5th, 2010 |
I believe the task of childhood is to learn to be a good parent to ourselves, and the task of parenthood is to teach our children to become good parents to themselves. When this doesn’t happen, it becomes the goal of therapy.
Sadly, this process can go awry with one’s own parents. Parents who never had the opportunity to learn how to be a good parent to themselves, often have trouble parenting their children. This can cause generational repetition of growing up without being able to parent oneself well. Sometimes when parents lack skill, children develop good self-parenting ability from... Read More
October 13th, 2010 |
Like we talked about last month, the alphabet soup of degrees, licenses, and various organizations related to all things EMDR. But, while that information is important, as you look for your therapist, it is imperative that you review your therapist’s level of training.
As I have addressed before, contrary to popular belief, EMDR is not an “intervention” or “technique” but rather a full and comprehensive modality, one that includes eight phases, each phase with its distinct functionality, process, and methods. An EMDR therapist will approach your case, treatment goals, and your progress... Read More
October 7th, 2010 |
Sometimes, when people experience a terrible loss, especially if it’s a traumatic loss, they make a life-changing decision in the middle of the intense emotional pain, often without even realizing it or remembering it. This decision can potentially affect them for the rest of their lives, and can cause chronic depression. People do this as a way of coping with the loss. In the shock of loss, people focus very narrowly on getting through each excruciating moment. Thoughts like “I’ll never love again” or I’ll never trust again” seem at the time like ways to avoid ever feeling this... Read More
August 9th, 2010 |
He called me, as most new clients would, needing to know the usual questions about me, my practice, and my approach to helping. Of course he would; he is supposed to. The catch is that on this call, I found myself having to educate him about EMDR, not because he didn’t know, but because what he had “heard about it” from his current therapist, was inaccurate. Unfortunately, and with therapy especially, this happens a lot.
As I tell many folks, finding your therapist is like finding the right pair shoes. Some look good, but don’t fit. Some don’t look like you would expect, but are.... Read More
April 28th, 2010 |
They always say its weird. In fact, I expect it. Ten years into being trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), I am still amazed by its ability to transform a life filled with trauma, anxiety, hypervigilance, and triggers, into a state of presence, mindfulness, and relief. But, it’s still a “weird looking therapy,” despite it being supported by research. And, clients and clinicians often find themselves confused about EMDR. This blog, and many in the future, will address the many aspects of EMDR. Today, we are going to address that what we mean by it being a “symptom... Read More
